Base-ball back-stop.



3 SHEET$SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR, 9. 1907.

. S. TITUS.

BASE BALL BAG-K STOP.

NORRIS PETERS co. WASHINGTON, n. c.

APPLIOA TION IILEDDEU. 20,1906.

v 7 s u .No.8 4 9,'94 1. v .PATENTED APR.9,'1907.

-W.S.TITUSY.

BASE BALL BACK STOP. APPLICATION FILED DEU.20,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 anuenl'oz 1m: "cams PETERS cu.v masnmaruu, o. c.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BASE-BALL BACK-STOP- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907,

Application filed December 20,1906. Serial No. 348,785.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON S. TITUS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glenmoore, in the county of Mercer, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Back-Stops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in base-ball baclcstops;and its object resides in the provision of a portable device of thatnature which may be moved to any desired point in a base-ball field.

As is well known, it is customary during the fielding practice oftheteam to utilize two batsmen, one of whom bats to the infield and theother to the outfield, and as the infield batsman usually stands infront of the stationary back-stop balls thrown or pitched to theoutfield batsman, who is stationed some distance away from the infieldbatsman, pass him and are lost where the field is uninclosed.

It is the chief object of this invention, therefore, to provide aportable back-stop which may be moved with great readiness to anyposition on the field to suit a batsman, so that he may stand inposition to bat with greater certainty to any particular fielder orportion of the field without the danger of any ball pitched or fieldedto him passing him and becoming lost or being stolen by any onlookers.

i A further object of the invention consists in the provision of aportable back-stop which may be utilized in the practice of bunting totake the place of a catcher and which may be further utilized inconnection with battery practice while the remaining members of a teamare engaged in fielding or batting practice and during a game.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in a mainvertical screensection and an upper screen-section inclined thereto, themain section further including a lower member forming a continuationthereof and normally connected thereto, so

, as to be raised out of contact with the ground during the movement ofthe device from one spot to another.

A further improvement consists in the for-' mation of the brace-rods ofthe upper screensection of two separate members whose ends are adaptedto telescope, whereby said section may be adjusted to any desired anglewith respect to the main section.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of parts, all as hereinafter fully'described, specificallyclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likeparts are designated by corresponding referencenumerals in the severalviews.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completeinvention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a rearelevation. Fig. 4 is a fragmental view in front elevation, showing thelower section in its raised or inoperative position. Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail view in longitudinal section, showing the telescopicarrangement of the brace-rods of the upper section. Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail view of the guide-wheel and its attendant parts. Fig. 7is a transverse vertical section through Fig. 6.

The back-stop, as shown in the drawings, comprises a main verticalframe-section 10, provided at its lower ends with ground-wheels 11, anupper section 12, pivoted to the top rail of the main section, and alower section 13, pivoted to the main section adjacent the lower railthereof. The top section is provided with a screen 14, secured theretoand including the diagonal supporting-threads 14, which latter preventthe screen or net from centrally sagging. The main section 10 is in likemanner provided with a screen 15, which, however, stops short beforereaching the lower rail of said section and is connected with the lowersection 13, as shown in Fig. 2, said screen being therefore partlycarried by both sections. toward its lower rail with a pair ofrearwardlyextending conver ing brace-rods 16, secured to the oppositeside rails, while the upper section is similarly provided with thebrace-rods 17, the latter, however, consisting of two separate members18 and 18, which are adapted to telescope at their inner ends, the boreof the section 18 being sufficiently large to admit the end of thesection 18. The two sections or members are held in adjusted position bymeans of a set-screw 19, which passes through an opening formed in themember 18 and impinges against the end of the member 18. Owing to thistelescopic construction of the brace-rods of the upper The main sectionis provided 9 section 12, it is possible to adjust the latter to anydesired angle with respect to the main sectionfiifgThe rear ends of theseveral braces 16 and 17 are bolted or otherwise fastened upon the upperof a pair of blocks 20, connected by a bolt 21, the lower block carryingon its under face a pair of yokes 22, which latter bear against the freeends of a spring 23, looped intermediate its ends to form a bearing forthe guiding-wheel 24, said half or member of said spring being coiledadjacent its free end to provide a yielding seat for the blocks 20,above referred to. The upper block is further provided with arearwardlyextending arm 25, terminating in a handle portion. It willthus be apparent that the back-stop may be drawn to any point in theball-field.

The lower section in its normal or operative position is downwardlyinclined with respect to the main section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, soas to stop any ground-balls which may ass the batsman. When, however,the

ack-stop is being drawn from one position to another on the ball-field,said lower section is swung upwardly out of contact with the ground andretained in such position by means of a chain 27, which is connected atone end with the front rail of said section and is provided at itsopposite end with a hook 28 for engagement with the bent upper end ofthe member 18 of the uppes brace-rod or with the adjacent side rail ofthe main section, being held in such latter position by its partialengagement with the mesh of the screen carried thereby. The screens 14and 15 are preferably formed of heavy twine or other similar material,so as not to cut or otherwise injure a ball which has passed the batsmanor when struck foul by him.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the back-stop may be bodilymoved to any portion of a field with great readiness to enable a batsmanto take any desired position to bat to certain players or to engage inbatting practice, and particularly in bunting practice withoutinterfering-with the other players, and it will be further apparent thatowing to the adjustable connection between the main and upper sectionsof the back-stop the latter section may be disposed at any desired anglewith respect to the former within certain limits, so as to preclude anypossibility of aball which has assed the batsman from escaping and beingost. The provision of the lower section in like manner prevents anypassed round-ball from becoming lost.

Further description of the device and its uses is thought unnecessary inview of the foregoing.

What is claimed is 1. A back-stop comprising a stationary main section,and an inclined upper section adjustably connected thereto.

2. A back-stop comprising a main vertical 'to the lower a single screencarried by both of said sections.

5. A back-stop comprising a main vertical frame-section, a sectionpivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section anddownwardly inclined normally with respect thereto, and a single screencarried. by both of said sections.

6. A portable back-stop comprising a main wheeled frame-section, asection pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main sectionand downwardly-inclined with respect thereto in its operative position,a screen carried by said sections, and means for retaining said pivotedsection in its raised or inoperative posit-ion with respect to said mainsection during bodily movement of the back-stop.

7. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a screen carriedthereby, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said main frame, and amovable guiding-wheel carried by said braces.

8. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an upper sectionconnected with said main frame, screens carried by said frame and uppersection, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said upper section,and a movable guiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

9. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an upper sectionconnected with said main frame and angularly adjustable with respectthereto, screens carried by said frame and upper section, rearwardlyextending braces connected to said upper section, and a movableguiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

10. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an uppersection connected with said main frame and angularly adjustable withrespect thereto, a movable section connected to the lower portion ofsaid main frame and forming a construction thereof, a screen carried bysaid upper section and a screen carried by said frame and movablesection, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said upper section,and a movable guiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

11. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a sectionpivotally connected ortion of said main frame and normally inc ineddownwardly with respect thereto, a screen carried by said frame andpivoted section, a flexible element connected at one .end to saidpivoted section, and a hook secured to the opposite end of said flexibleelement and adapted for engagement with said main frame to hold saidpivoted section in raised position during bodily movement of theback-stop.

12. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a sectionpivotally connected to the lower portion of said main frame and normallyinclined downwardly with respect thereto, a screen carried by said frameand pivoted section, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said mainframe, a movable guiding-wheel secured to the rear end of said braces, aflexible element connected at one end to said pivoted section, and ahook secured to the opposite end of said flexible element and adaptedfor engagement with said main frame to hold said pivoted section inraised position during bodily movement of the back-stop.

13. A back-stop comprising a main sec tion, a section pivoted to theupper portion of said main section, and supporting means for said uppersection including braces each comprising a pair of separate membersadapted to telescope with each other, whereby the inclination of theupper section may be adjusted with respect to the main section.

14. A portable baclcstop comprising a main wheeled section, a sectionpivoted to the upper portion of said main section, rearwardly-extendingbraces connected to said sections, the upper-section braces eachcomprising a pair of separate members adapted to telescope with eachother, whereby the inclination of the upper section may be adjusted withrespect to the main section, and a movable steering-wheel connected withthe rear ends of said braces.

15. A portable back-stop comprising a main wheeled section, a sectionpivotally connected to the upper portion of said main section, a sectionpivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section andnormally downwardly inclined with respect thereto, a flexibleelementgconnectediat one end to said lower section, a hookgsecuredgtothe opposite end of said element for engagement with said main frame, tohold said lower section in raised position during bodily movement ofsaid back-stop, rearwardly ex tending braces secured to said mainsection, separate braces secured to said upper section, and a movableuiding-wheel secured to the rear ends of said braces.

16. A portable baclcstop comprising a main wheeled section, a sectionpivotally connected to the upper portion of said main section, a sectionpivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section andnormally downwardly inclined with respect thereto, a flexible elementconnected at one end to said lower section, a hook secured to theopposite end of said element for engagement with said main frame, tohold said lower section in raised position during bodily movement ofsaid back-stop, rearwardly-extending braces secured to said mainsection, separate braces secured to said upper section, saidlast-mentioned braces each consisting of a pair of members adapted totelescope with each other, whereby the inclination of the up per membermay beadjusted with res ect to the main section and a movable guiingwheel secured to the rear ends of said braces. In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WELLINGTON S. TITUS.

Witnesses:

W. E. PIGGOTT, J. W. DAVIS.

